“Silk Metal Glass: Art to Wear,” is the next exhibit in Summer Artists Series sponsored by Rocky Neck Gallery (RNG) opening on Wednesday, July 3 – July 23, 2013. This exciting new show, curated by RNG’s jewelry artist Deborah Way, features three renown Gloucester artists working in glass, metal and silk: Beth Williams, Camilla MacFadyen and Mer Anderson.
A reception will be on Saturday, July 6, from 5-7 PM. This event is free and open to the public, providing a wonderful opportunity to meet these artists and learn about their process in creating art to wear.
Beth Williams, Mer Anderson and Camilla MacFadyen have known each other for several years. The theme of this show highlights the luscious materials these artists choose to work with, to create their version of exquisite art in a wearable format. Each artist’s chosen medium complements the styles and materials used by the others—three varied, different materials coalesce to present a lively conversation between hard and soft, matte and shiny, bright and muted.
Mer Anderson creates a clean, modern style of jewelry working in sterling and other metals. Her jewelry is suffused with an element of play with a focus on simplified forms, often incorporating kinetic elements that allow for the interplay between the body's movement and the artwork. Much of her work is evocative, with trace references to objects, both natural and man-made. Recently Anderson has begun working with enamels, exploring color and surface manipulation.
Camilla MacFadyen is primarily a printmaker but with a refreshing twist: she prints on fabric. She loves the tactile elements fabric provides for her prints. The drape and movement of silk, along with the pleasure of designing wearing art, are central to her work. For MacFadyen the natural world offers a bounty of inspiration of colors and patterns to inspire her creative process.
MacFadyen’s art to wear collection will feature seaweed print scarves, silk wall hangings and small collection of clothing called Arrowhead Clothing. Her scarves are hand dyed, and printed with collograph plates made from seaweed and other flora collected along the coast and woods of New England. The wall hangings are large pieces printed on silk and hemp. She collects small objects such as leaves, twigs, and rocks from a special place and uses them to print an image inspired by these gifts of nature. The luminous landscapes she creates are printed in many layers, then hand sewn and hang scroll-like from a crafted wooden wall bracket.
Suzoe, a clothing collection, is a new venture with her sister-in-law, Suzanne MacFadyen, a designer and dressmaker. This intimate collection combines Camilla’s hand printed silk organza beautifully tailored into dresses or tops by Suzanne. The unique designs will be available for sale and special order.
Combining glass, gold, and silver, Beth Williams creates contemporary, elegant jewelry highlighted with the rainbow of colors and textures inherent in her materials. A studio metalsmith for many years before focusing on glass, Williams’ designs balance these elements resulting in pieces that the owner can wear with comfort and pleasure. Pure gold granules accent the surface of many of Williams’ lampwork beads, reflecting a signature style that is recognized in exhibitions and publications across the country.
“My love of glass and color are what drive my work; inspiration comes from my gardens, the ever-changing light on the ocean and the seascapes that surround me. Multi-layered colors paired with 24-karat gold granules and pure silver threads create miniature sculptures of understated elegance that are tactile, beautiful, wearable," says Williams.
This delightful collaboration will be running for three weeks at Rocky Neck Gallery located at 53 Rocky Neck Avenue, Gloucester, MA. The show opens Wednesday, July 3 until Tuesday, July 23, 2013. Gallery hours are Sunday – Wednesday: 11 AM – 6 PM; and Thursday* – Saturday: 11 AM – 8 PM. (*On Thursday, July 4th, the gallery will stay open until 9 PM.) There is plenty of free parking. For more information please check our website: www.rockyneckgallery.com
Be sure to join us for a lively evening on Saturday, July 6 from 5-7 PM for an artists’ reception. Meet Camilla MacFadyen, Mer Anderson and Beth Williams and see their original, exquisitely beautiful creations in silk, metal, glass: art to own and wear.
